Rockwatching: Adventures Above and Below Ontario - Softcover

Gordon, Michael

9781550464498: Rockwatching: Adventures Above and Below Ontario

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1550464493 ISBN 13: 9781550464498

Publisher: Boston Mills Press, 2005

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Hiking backwards in time.

Southern Ontario's sedimentary deposits hold the fascinating story of our planet's last half billion years. Most of the surface rock in Southern Ontario is limestone, dolostone or marble. Consequently, geologic history is readily visible in its distinctive layers -- if you know where to look.

Explore ancient seabeds. See evidence of violent, catastrophic floods. Witness the effects of glaciers that scoured the continent. Discover signs of droughts that lasted thousands of years.

No matter what your age or skill level, Rockwatching is an entertaining and informative guide that shows you can go back in time.

Rockwatching features fascinating locations that can be explored in a single afternoon. Visit the formidable cliffs above Georgian Bay, their enormous broken potholes gaping like fierce jaws. Or, on the opposite side of the Bruce Peninsula, stroll through the dunes of Dorcas Bay, where strange, red-veined pitcher plants lurk among the bog reeds and many species of orchid make their home.

Other trips include:

Rockwood
Mt. Nemo
Belfountain
Ball's Falls
Queenston Heights
Moira
Lion's Head
Bobcaygeon
Marmora
Little Bluff
Inglis Falls
Devil's Glen
Limehouse
Maitland Trail.

Rockwatching provides maps and directions to each feature as well as safety tips and valuable hiking advice.

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From the Author:

I have always been fascinated by the rock, its texture, color, and form are a source of endless wonder to me. In retrospect, my life thus far has in many ways, been intertwined with the rock, its beauty, its exploration and it's understanding.

I consider the acquisition of knowledge to be a journey of discovery and true to that ideal I have blended the understanding of the land with its physical exploration. There is still one unsurveyed frontier in Southern Ontario; it is Ontario's underground geography. Unbeknown to most, there are many areas of the province that are underlain by extensive tunnel systems. It is a landscape that is largely undiscovered and there is historical significance in the exploration of those places. To wriggle down a narrow stone tube into a cavern hung with soda straws and drooping folds of flowstone is inspirational. To be the first human being to see that sight is absolutely magnificent. I derive spiritual pleasure from such experiences and I hope to educate others in the appreciation of those features.

I have crafted my book for people like me who love the natural world and who derive immense excitement in the exploration and interpretation of the land. The book has been written so as to appeal to the explorer who is intent upon enjoying the allure and mystery of the province's geography and yet at the same time learning about the rock in terms of its strata, age, formative processes and distinguishing features.

About the Author:

Michael Gordon is a geographer, experienced climber and cave explorer, and fellow of the Canadian Gemological Association.

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