Stephanie and Sherman Falls

It was another beautiful week in Hamilton this week...though some cooler evening breezes hint that summer is indeed winding to an end.  With the days getting noticeably shorter too, I'm trying to take every opportunity I can to get out after work while there's enough light for some photography.

This week it was off to Stephanie and Sherman Falls in Ancaster (just west of Hamilton).  I'd never been to the Tiffany Creek-fed Stephanie Falls before and was thoroughly impressed by its beauty.

The majestic trees of the surrounding Carolinian Forest make for some pretty stunning scenery too:

Sherman Falls is fairly close by.  It's a much larger waterfall (17 metres compared to 9 metres) and is fed by Ancaster Creek:

I've said it before...but man oh man, I love this city!

Exploring Chedoke Creek & Falls

Last night I went on a hike and discovered the most amazing place - Chedoke Creek and Falls.  Beyond the breathtaking beauty of red clay cliffs, limestone boulders, and multiple waterfalls, the thing that makes this place utterly spectacular is its location - just steps from Hamilton's downtown.

Despite its proximity to the heart of the city, it's not the easiest place to access.  There's a side trail off of the Chedoke Radial Trail, just east of Chedoke Golf Course.  The trail only gets you so far, after that its a tricky hike along steep embankments and a rocky creek bed.  After a very dry summer, the water was very very low, so it made travelling along the creek bed a bit easier and a lot drier.

I brought my trusty tripod along and had lots of fun taking some long exposure shots of the water, giving it a silky smooth appearance.  Here are a few of my favourite shots:

The eroded clay banks and massive limestone boulders must mean this creek becomes a pretty powerful river in the rain-filled spring.

It's pretty neat to think that the bricks of our house are made from that very same red clay.  These next few shots are of Lower Chedoke Falls.

City Love: Biking Up (& Down) The Niagara Escarpment

Tonight, I feel like I conquered the world.  For the first time ever, I biked up The Niagara Escarpment (or as it's known here in Hamilton, 'the mountain').  Maybe I wouldn't have been as intimidated by this feat if everyone didn't refer to it as a mountain, but let me tell you, now that I've done it, I feel like I've accomplished some sort of local right of passage.

For a route, I chose the Chedoke Radial Trail - a part of the Bruce Trail.  The sign's a bit ghetto, but oh well.  At least there was a water fountain right beside this sign, which was great because I forgot to bring along water...