Winter Waterfalls

As I continue my winter reminiscing, I'm going to talk about waterfalls next.  One of my favourite photographic pastimes in days gone by was to chase down waterfalls and get photos, especially in the winter.  This region is known for its waterfalls, because of the Niagara Escarpment, which runs along a very up and down course from the southern Beaver Valley to north of Owen Sound.  So I've pulled out some old photos of the best known falls, and paired a winter and summer or fall picture where I could.

   It's worth pointing out that I once prepared a presentation on the 'Waterfalls of the Beaver Valley Area' which was later posted on YouTube.  Look it up if you want.

The best known waterfall around here is Inglis Falls, just at the southern end of Owen Sound.  And in 2014 it froze over completely.  There's plenty of water running down there, but all under an outer shell of ice.  I've only seen that the once.

Here's a spring photo when water levels are high, and the water is just charging over the falls.  There's a mill pond just above the falls which helps moderate the flow.  This was an important mill site, the Peter Inglis Mill; my great-grandfather brought his grain here to be milled into flour.

And another in late summer when water levels are low.  As I recall this was on a visit with our little photography group from the Grey Highlands Probus Club.  It's worth noting that you only get a good understanding of a waterfall if you can go back in all seasons.

One of the other easily accessible waterfalls in Owen Sound is Jones Falls.  If you knw where to park you can literally walk 100 yards and see it.  If you're a little more adventurous you can walk another 100 yards and crawl down through a wide crevice to come out at the bottom of the falls, where this photo was taken in the winter.

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In not-a-very-good comparison this photo was taken in spring, but from the top of the falls and from the other side.

I spent considerable time in those days as an innocent amateur photographer learning how to achieve these 'misty' shots of waterfalls.  If you took your picture at a high speed you could 'stop' the water, but if you took it at a slow speed as these two, you could get the misty look.  Of course then you had to have a tripod.  The last two photos above show the 'misty' look of the falls; here's one where I tried to `stop` the water.  Didn`t quite succeed, but it`s a very different photo.

A Little Snow!

It's turning into a very snowy winter here; the snow just continues to accumulate.  Temperatures remain well below freezing, and snow continues to fall.  It's like a good old fashioned winter.  The snow squalls are so frequent that our evening caregiver has only been here about half-time.

This was our back yard yesterday, the snow still falling.  You'll note that there's no sign of our 'snow stick'; it's been totally out of sight for nearly three weeks..

Both the nearby spruce and the distant maple are snow-covered.

Mrs. F.G. took the camera into the den where she gets a different view of our shed and the railing on our ramp.

This is the half-buried track of a rabbit that apparently has a shelter under the ramp.

Just a nice picture, don't you think?

But we can't get over that huge pile of snow, about two feet deep on top of the planter.  If you need some snow where you are, I could try to ship you some!

The Challenges of Life in a Wheelchair

Forgive me while I rant a little.  If you're a wheelchair user, every now and then you face yet more decisions about keeping your chair running well - or ultimately, replacing it, just like we replace our cars every now and then.

A few weeks ago my chair seemed to be losing power too fast, especially toward the end of the day.  Even on days when I moved around very little, actually staying in the house, or only going out to physio where I'm sure I didn't ride further than 200 yards, by evening it was dropping precipitously down close to zero.  We started charging it every day.

Then last Friday, coming home from the church potluck, I couldn't get in the house at all!  You have to cross a small threshold (that strip of wood under the bottom of the door) and when I tried, the chair just stalled out, the control unit showing a stop sign and the message 'low voltage'.  I've come through that door 4000 times before, so I was just a little concerned!

The same thing happened today when we came home from church!  It's actually infuriating.  The chair shows you how much battery power is left, but it doesn't warn you when voltage is too low.  

If my battery power has failed, I don't want to be trapped outside the house.  That means I have to stay inside, and that in turn means no physio, no lunches downtown, and no church.  So I got on the phone to the company that services my wheelchair, and begged for a quick visit.  The nearest date was 5 days away, and that would be only to assess the situation.  If it's the batteries, they have to be ordered and who knows how long that would take.   The uncertainty at this stage was the most frustrating! 

My friendly service guy came sooner after I called and begged again, and yes indeed, it is the batteries.  After 6 weeks of uncertainty we face a $1200.00 bill and an indefinite further wait!  I'll be on the phone again at 9 a.m. tomorrow!

So should we think about a new chair rather than just new batteries?  I've been told repeatedly that wheelchairs of this sort will last about 5 years, and it's been 6 years now.  We've replaced the power wheels, the four casters, the cushion (of course), the control unit, and the batteries (already).  Is this the tipping point when the chair becomes unreliable?

And then, if we look at a new chair, what brand, what features, what wheelbase?  I've been using a MWD or mid-wheel drive, but I think I would find a FWD or front-wheel drive better for the use I make of it  - getting out and about during spring/summer/fall, going over curbs to get to where I want to go.  If we go this route it will be at least another 6 weeks, and possibly 6 months, so I think we have to cough up for new batteries now to keep me moving in the meantime.

And when I start looking at websites, they have a way of writing them that just uses a bunch of great words but doesn't really tell you what you need to know!  I should add, we don't do this ourselves, we have to work with both the saleslady and our Occupational Therapist.

It's a long list of decisions to make, and this time I'm going to do my own research and not just be pushed into something the saleslady wants to sell!

The cost:  In Ontario, a government program pays most of the cost for wheelchairs of this sort (which cost much more than you would believe), but we're dependent on the Occupational Therapist to approve it and submit an application on our behalf.  If both the saleslady and the OT agree with us, this could be quick.  I'll let you know.

Snowshoeing on the Bayview Escarpment

A decade ago now when I was just getting involved with the local Bruce Trail Club, I joined a group going for a snowshoe hike up on the Bayview Escarpment.  It's onw of my more memorable winter hikes, because the scenery was so spectacular.

We started up an old road allowance that took us up onto the top of the escarpment.  That was a challenging walk!

Then we came out on top, where the trail was flat and the walking relatively easy.  In short order I realized we were actually on the Bruce Trail, a new section of it that had just been opened.

Eventually the trail grew closer to the cliff edge and we got a tremendous view looking northeast.  This is the back corner of the army base, locally still known as the tank range, and beyond it, easier to see in the second photo, is Georgian Bay itself.

Our hike leader knew a secret though, and abruptly led us through a nearly 360° turn to head down a break in the cliff fact, and back out onto the field below.  I've never forgotten that shortcut to end our hike, a great snowshoe walk.

The snow really needs to be 4-6" deep to make snowshoes worthwhile, but it's even better if it's a foot deep.  My first effort at snowshoeing came over 50 years ago, on a weekend in Algonquin Park, where we used the big beavertail snowshoes in powder snow that was four feet deep!  Then you know they are really useful!

Snowshoeing Through the Woods

Lest you think I only cross-country skied and never snowshoed, here is my usual walk that often required snowshoes.  At our previous domicile, while our last dog, Roxie was still with us, I took her for a walk through the woods every morning.  She could be off the leash once we reached the woods, and she really loved it!  And occasionally we had one of those light but sticky snowfalls that turned the woods into a winter wonderland.

The trail through the woods was an old tractor trail, and these two big old maples marked the beginning of the trail.

On this occasion the lower level shrubs, mostly dogwoods, were all coated in white; it was just beautiful!

It wasn't a long trail, but it was interesting and convenient, so we walked here frequently.

On more than one occasion I met the owner, and was welcomed to walk here anytime.

That day I was using my bearpaw snowshoes.  I preferred the old traditional ones.

We could follow various loops, and the owners themselves laid out a wandering trail which I really enjoyed.  Part of the trail if we walked that far went down the old farm lane, past those rocky stone walls I showed you a few posts ago.

Before long we were always back at the beginning where there was 100 yards of younger trees outside the edge of the actual woodlot, and then it was out into the subdivision.

In case you've forgotten, this is Roxie, our good old Grey County mutt, who loved nothing more than burying herself in the snowdrifts, as you can see!

Cross-country Skiing Part III

At the Glenelg trails there's one offshoot that goes through a dense swamp.  It's downright spooky, reminding me of middle earth as you follow the winding trails.  This is not a place you can glide along quickly!

You enter this group of trails by descending a fast trail with a sharp corner at the bottom where you come out into a meadow.  You can see the light of the open field at the end of this ski run.  It's like a price you pay for the chance to access the swamp.

After crossing the meadow you enter the first section of the swamp, a dense forest that had snow everywhere on this day.

There were openings into the black water in places, but bridges kept you dry.

After passing through the first bit of swamp the trail rose a bit and you were in a mature Red Pine plantation (actually this is in need of thinning).  There were a couple of loops here that added more length if you wanted.

Then it was back into the swamp on a narrow winding trail.  This is where I got the feeling I was in middle earth!

More of middle earth!

Then you worked your way back up the hills you initially came down and you were back into the hardwood forest.  From there the groomed trail led you back to the entrance.  All the trails I've described provided such variety; it was great.

I hope you haven't minded the repeated posts on skiing.  While I've been writing them I've been out there skiing them in my mind, a refreshing winter outing.

Cross-country Skiing Part II

As I said, cross-country skiing became my favourite winter retirement activity, and my favourite place to do this was at the Glenelg Nordic Ski Club.  The variety of trails there was incredible; I don't think I could ever have skiid them all in one day, even if I did have the energy to do so.  And the grooming was outstanding.

This is the longer trail that I usually skiid when going in a group.  It was a large loop mostly through hardwood forest, but you had to do a short stretch through mixed forest and conifers first.  

This trail also had more hills and corners, so you had to be reasonably good with your skiis.  The little hill ahead in this view forced you to turn sharply at the bottom of a short hill, always a tricky maneuvre.

Once past that you rounded a pond and were into the large area of hardwoods, hilly in places, but very pleasant skiing.

This is the longest straight hill, and you definitely waited for the person ahead of you to finish or get out of the way in case they fell.  To make it worse there is a sharp left turn at the lowest point of this slope if you wish to access another group of trails.  I was skiing with a group one time when one of the group fell as he tried to turn left and broke his ankle!

After that it was a sharp right turn, down another steep curving trail that always challenged me.

As you went around a long curve toward the cars again there were a number of dead pines that tended to hold the snow in large clumps.  All in all this was a challenging ski for me, but a very enjoyable one.

Cross-Country Skiing

My favourite winter activity in retirement became cross-country skiing.  There's nothing like gliding quickly along the trails, the swish of the skiis in the snow providing music to my ears.  And here in Grey County we have excellent groomed ski trails in all directions.  My favourite was always the Glenelg trails, just west of Markdale.  Well maintained by a committed club, they roamed through 400 acres of hardwood forest, as well as assorted habitats on adjoining private land.  As a club member you could access it all.

The easiest trails, running partly through hardwoods and partly through planted conifers, was mostly flat and I really enjoyed it.  This is where I usually skiid when I was skiing alone.

After you went a mile or so you came out to the edge of an open field, just after crossing a snowmobile trail.  I loved this row of old maples.

At the farthest point I turned back and sought out the 'Long Piney Woods' trail.  There were three different trails you could take back, but this one gave me a long straight stretch to enjoy.

This was a very narrow trail, but it let you build up a good speed.

Flat at first, it eventually came to a short uphill stretch, hiding the end of the trail ahead.

Over that little hill and you were in the last stretch.  You couldn't afford to go too fast here as the trail comes to an abrupt end when you emerged from the trees.  And it's hard to turn quickly in cross-country skiis if you run into snow 8" deep!

Then you turn right and head back to the car, passing a long row of beehives the landowner kept for honey and you're done.  A great winter outing!

To pick up on Woody's comment from yesterday, there's relatively little 'skate-skiing' around here.  I had five different groomed trails like these that i could drive to, but only one set of trails groomed for skate-skiing.  Here, skating clearly means skating on ice wearing ice skates!

Skating through the Forest

Yes you read that right.   I'm going back to some of my favourite winter memories here, and this is one of the best.  Ten years ago I joined a Bruce Trail group that headed north to the Huntsville area for a winter weekend.  It was great fun, and a group of friends I still see regularly.

There was snowshoeing right at the lodge we stayed in, but most days we headed over the Arrowhead Provincial Park for cross-country skiing.  With its varied levels of groomed trails, it's a mecca for cross-country in the area and it was only 20 minutes away.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

It was there I discovered they also had a well maintained skate trail.  So the next year I took my skates and insisted to my companions that I wanted time to skate this trail.  They all sat in the warm car while I went for my skate - it was bitterly cold.

They created the trail by laying down ice on one of the winding campground roads, and they actually had a zamboni to maintain the ice.  It was amazing skating, and one of the first such trails in Ontario.

I often went skating in the big arena at the university when I worked there, and even took lessons when I was 40 or older, so I could at least stand up on my skates, and I really enjoyed this winter adventure.