Every journey is unique.

I did short sections of this hike with AJ during the week. We parked the car on 8th line and followed the main trail south past the Great Esker Side Trail, took the shortcut with the Maureen Smith Side Trail and used 8th line to get back to the car. The next time we parked on the Bennet Side Trail at 8th line and walked through Scotsdale Farm where  the old homestead and barn are still standing. It is a popular place to take pictures of families, engagements, weddings, etc. There is also a pond with some willow trees. A nice place to picnic. Sometimes there are some plein air artists here that do sketching or painting. Really nice atmosphere. We used the main trail and the Maureen Smith Side Trail again to get back to the car.

Tanja and I went back on the weekend and parked the car at the main Bruce Trail on the 8th line close to the Snows Creek waterfall. We started by walking north through the forest and crossed 27 Side Road close to the Silver Creek waterfall. This section is quite interesting when you remember that people lived here until about 500 years ago. There has been some archeological diggings in the area recently. I would like to know more about that. Some summers there is not a lot of water here. After that we did the same trails that AJ and I did except that we did not go through Scotsdale farm, but did the Great Esker Side Trail instead. What is nice about parking the car along the 8th line instead of at the farm parking lot is that you can do this trail many different ways and adjust the length as fits your needs.

I love the Silver Creek Conservation Area. There are two waterfalls close to this walking trail: one in Snows Creek at 8th line and another one in Owl Creek at 27 Side Road. They are not very big, but the pictures are always impressive. In Spring there is a good run-off when the snow melts and in winter it usually looks very romantic (in my view). Fall is always spectacular and not just where the waterfalls are.

I did a photography course last year in the fall where I included this area for my project called “Journey of the traveling leaves“. I wanted the viewer to enjoy the explosion of  colours and experience a leaf’s falling and resting by itself before drifting down a stream to join up with others. The leaves’ journey also acts as a metaphor for your own life: it includes stillness and reflection but also has exciting moments that, in contrast, tumble down a waterfall with abandon!