Finishing A New Hike

 This is such a pretty waterfall... it's too bad it's quite a hike... although that can be a good thing too!

Always good to know! This is a coal mining area... and you never know where you might find old workings... with holes...

Alright... let's continue this loop hike!

This is the view of the waterfall from the main trail... good thing we took that little side shoot!

We finally reached the upper part of the creek where the trail crossed the creek.  And now we're coming down the far side.

This side is wayyyyy more civilized... like a wide gravel path (we'll learn why later).

Onwards!!

Huh. Look at that... there's an old dam here! Apparently it was a colliery dam (told you there was old coal workings around here).

There's an interesting bit up near the bottom of the dam... let's just go see...

Up here... along this concrete wall that leads to the dam...

There is a big, ancient pipe coming out of the dam and going into that concrete wall.

That's pretty cool!! It must have funneled water somewhere... for some purpose...

Oooh... as we were walking we saw this... wait for it...

Do you see that black box?? We think it might be a trail camera...

Peek-a-boo I see you!!! Heh-heh... 

Or it might just be a people counter... who knows... but if it is a trail camera... someone's going to see a bear on it!! Rah!

Oooh... the wild blackberries are ready... or almost ready!

They are super yummy!

So... as we walk along this uber-civilized trail...

We see that old pipe following along with us... so this trail might have been an old road access back in the day.

Then we came across another sign for the Mackie Road Dam...

That's it down there... while the other dam we saw was a concrete dam... this one is a timber crib dam... It is at least 70 years old (early 1950s) and was built by the Wellington Collieries Company for coal mining water supply or control. But it's now not in a safe condition. It was supposed to be removed in 2023... and then 2024... but now it's due to get removed in 2025... we'll see.

Along the way... we found some horsetails...

Which are normally a foot tall or so... but these...

... are much, much taller... well over 3 feet!!

How did they know I was coming???

We are almost done our loop and found some old bridge abutments along the creek... one on this side...

And one that has fallen down on the other side.

I love it when a hike brings together nature and history!!

I also saw something interesting on that old cut log in the background...

Do you see the faces in it???

There's like a cat on the left... and... not sure about the right... maybe a camel head???

Cool!!!

The stinging nettles are all flowering... and I can touch them and get no stings!!! Cause I'm a little bear... 

And that concludes our hike today!! Now off to get some sustenance...

Ready...

A hot chocolate of course!!!!