Where in the World : Cheltenham Badlands, Ontario

Hubby and I went to this spontaneous hiking trip as soon as I dropped my luggage coming from a 4 day-trip in Vancouver. With barely 2 hours of sleep in the plane (I promise I will never take the red eye flight again!) and a quick shower, we drove to Caledon not expecting anything like  this. I know how beautiful the badlands in pictures but standing on it was quite an experience - A true geographical spectacle!

The blue skies, the mild breeze, and the vibrant hues of autumn leaves from trees surrounding the badlands complemented the already dramatic soil formation. I couldn't wish for a better day to  climb and walk on top of these bizarre but lovely landscape.

Standing on one of the peaks, I would never thought that this marvelous piece of land in Caledon hills Ontario was a result of "poor farming practices in the 1930’s which caused overgrazing of this land and the resultant exposure of the Queenston shale that supports little or no vegetation." My research (a.k.a. "googling") revealed that "the reddish hue of the Queenston Shale is caused by iron oxide, while narrow greenish bands show where groundwater has transformed the rock from red to green iron oxide."

While looking, touching and feeling the grainy soil from "mistakes" of the past, James Joyce's (Irish poet) words come to mind...

"A man's errors are his portals of discovery".

So true!


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