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 of Lights - Hamilton's Skyline at Dusk

After talking about it forever, my good friend Ray and I finally ventured to the edge of Hamilton's Niagara Escarpment, near Sam Lawrence Park to take some photographs of the city's skyline.  We headed out just as the sun began to set and got some great shots over the city as dusk set in.

Ray is a far more experienced photographer than me, so it was great to get some tips about what settings to use to get the best shot.  We're hoping to make this a regular thing - with the escarpment encircling the city's downtown on three sides, there are countless vantage points to get a great view of the city from.

Here are my five best shots from the evening, in both black & white and colour: