Out into a Landscape Shaped by Water

After a day and a half of rain and drizzle we went out this afternoon. It was still cloudy and foggy so vistas were not on our agenda.

Our first stop was the Green Point Geological Site. I had no idea what to expect here. Turns out the rock layers were beautiful and almost vertical.

The layers of shale were as thin as I’ve ever seen.

They were also extensive. We scrambled this far thinking there was another route to the top of the bluff. There was not.

So we scrambled back.

This place is noted for the fossil finds that identify one of the layers as the boundary between the Cambrian and Ordovician periods, 500 million years ago.

I wish I understood more about geology. The rocks were fascinating anyway.

There is almost always a spring on any hill or cliff and there was one here. A spot of green among the rock.

These barnacles and snails that live just below the high tide line didn’t appear to be impressed that they were on layers used as a benchmark by geologists around the world.

From the shore we went to the woods. This is a little trail around Berry Head Pond about 4 miles from Green Point.

It led through the woods and the across a bog that was dotted with pitcher plants.

I was happy to find that they were in bloom now as we’d seen them blooming last year in August.

The bog was on a slope above the pond. We were walking on a boardwalk and could hear water flowing but couldn’t see it. I finally saw it rushing from beneath us down to the pond. The whole bog seemed to be draining under our feet.

The pond was quite large…

and it drained away into the vegetation again. This is such a different landscape here. It’s like a sponge sitting on a rock with water flowing everywhere.

Plants and flowers grow thickly…

though due to the harsh conditions they are often small, like this tiny old larch tree in the bog.

It may not be towering forests, but it’s very peaceful and even on Canada Day we had this trail to ourselves.