Wesley Brooks Conservation Area and Fairy Lake in Newmarket

I don't think you will find a photographer novice or pro who doesn't love taking pictures in the Fall.  It's almost impossible to take a bad shot once the leaves start changing colours creating beautiful backdrops and pathways.  

After we had our lunch, we revisited the Mabel Davis Conservation (seen on this blog) heading north to George Richardson Park and looped back south to the over 15 hectares of the Wesley Brooks Conservation area along Fairy Lake.   

The paths are crushed gravel and shared with cyclists so it gets quite busy on weekends.  Red squirrels are common as you move further and further away from Toronto.  (The central core usually has an over abundances of black and grey squirrels which may look different, but they actually come from the same species.  Unlike the eastern grey squirrels, red squirrels are smaller.

The red squirrels are easily distinguished because of the changes in their coat color that depends on the season. When it is warm, their fur turns reddish with patches of white on the belly. 

 

When the temperature drops, the white patch on their belly becomes grey.  Their tale only measures about 10 cm making them super cute (like the chipmunk!).  I've had a love for squirrels all my life and will always try to remember to bring some nuts with me (of course in the past year or so, bi-laws have become more pervasive asking people not to feed them due to over population in the cities.

 

I included a picture of large lichen in this post, as they are incredibly similar to the flowering cabbage plant.  If you do research on lichens you will most likely find out what they are not.   

They are not moss, or plants though there is a similarity in that they use photosynthesis to survive.  They are able to withstand the toughest environments and have been seen living in and around old rock formations.   The pink by the way on the lichen is NOT a natural colour, but spray paint that was found along the pathways on rocks alerting cyclists.  It kind of bothered me that they (Parks staff) would ever think it's okay to spray paint something that is considered life.  It wasn't directly in the path either!  

 

 Happy Trails!

White Water Walk in Niagara Falls

The White Water Walk in Niagara Falls, Canada is a must see, if only just one. It can be expensive - it can run you up to $20/person during the peak season.

For starters you'll go down to the rapids in an old manual elevator with handle lifts and an elevator operator while you travel 70 metres to reach the base of the Niagara Gorge.  

 

As you exit you immediately enter a long arching tunnel as nostalgic to me as the Brady Bunch (if you don't know who they are - you're too young, lol)

At the other end of the tunnel there's an impressive quarter-mile of boardwalk that runs along the shoreline of the Niagara River. Imagine the poor workman who had to do that job!!

 

 

 

This was the part I enjoyed the most.   There are several lookout points along the boardwalk which literally take you to rapid - level where you will experience crashing waves with an awesome view of the 400 million year old rock formations/layers in the gorge.

 

 Now for the scary part!  The Whirlpool Rapids have been clocked as the most ferocious in the world with a class 6 (according to the whitewater rapids classification guide.  Class 1 being gentle waves; 2 - you might get splashed; Class 3 - you'll get wet; Class 4 - you'll get soaked; Class 5- high adrenaline; and last Class 6- non-navigable!

The boardwalk itself is not very long at quarter mile, so it won't take you long to view the rapids in this self-guided experience, so we went back and forth a few times so I could do it all over again!  

 

If you are a photographer, novice or pro - you'll get the best views at the lower platforms of the water's rage so you might find it worth it to pay the admission.

Happy trails!