Tuesday, October 30, 2018

A Walkabout In The Woods

The Mackenzie King Estate was another stop I made during my visit to the Gatineau Hills. The shuttle service stopped in the parking lot on my way up to my first destination, and when I came back, I thought I'd go to the estate through another route. The Waterfall Trail leads to the estate via a couple of routes, and I took one of them that wound up leading me to the drive into the estate. Another route emerges onto the estate around the ruins. I headed off from the parking lot along this trail in the woods.


The waterfall would have been on the other route. I've only been on this trail once before, and the previous time was on the other path. I imagine the waterfall might well be close to dry this time of year, but I crossed what looked suspiciously like it might be the route of a stream coming downhill here. There was a bit of water to be seen, but not as much as you might see in the spring.


I carried on along the path. Seeing the Gatineau Hills this time of year reminds me of Malak Karsh. The Karsh family immigrated out of Armenia one by one into Canada in the first part of the 20th century. Two of them became renowned photographers in Ottawa. Yousuf Karsh was the portrait photographer whose work over the years made him arguably the preeminent photographer of his speciality of the century. His brother Malak, who followed him to Canada in 1937, chose nature and the landscape for his subject and spent decades photographing them and publishing coffee table books with his work. It was a decision largely based on his first visit to the Hills, brought here by his brother on a fall day not unlike this one. In a 1997 interview he recalled, "When I saw the beautiful autumn colours, I said, 'this is what I am going to be. I am going to be a photographer.' If Canada is all as beautiful as the Gatineaus, I am going to travel all over Canada." Today he is buried in the Gatineau Hills, at the cemetery in Wakefield.


The path emerged on the roadway leading to the estate. From here I followed it.


And here we have the main entrance for the parking lot- the way in is at the right, while the way out comes from the left. I'll be back here on November 3rd to continue this autumn series from Gatineau Park.

38 comments:

  1. Very cool and quiet for walks. Lovely colours to enjoy too!

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  2. ...I can almost hear the fallen leaves under foot!

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  3. It is as if we were walking with you. And, thank you for telling up about the Karsh photogrphers. I will look them up.

    Janis
    GDP

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  4. Hello, beautiful walk in the woods. Love the Autumn colors and trees. Have a happy day!

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  5. What a wonderful place for a stroll and a camera. Beautiful, William.

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  6. @Nancy: it was a pleasant path through the woods.

    @Tom: all those fallen leaves ruin the stealthiness of a kitty.

    @Janis: I have mentioned them from time to time. Yousuf comes up in tomorrow's post.

    @Eileen: thank you!

    @Marianne: they were.

    @Marie: it certainly is.

    @Francisco: thanks!

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  7. I am enjoying your area in the fall. it's very beautiful. :-)

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  8. What a wonderful location, that road surrounded by gold is great.

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  9. i prefer hiking in the fall but u can not do it quickly ... all the leaves crunching under u and u scare all the critters away. great shots!!
    ( ;

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  10. Reminds me of my walks. : ) Beautiful photos.

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  11. You are making me want to go for a hike but, only if it's someplace as beautiful as this.

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  12. Beautiful nature photography ~ so healing to see and be in nature ~

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  13. @DJan: it definitely is.

    @Jan: I think so too.

    @Beth: that's true, but that keeps the bears away!

    @Happyone: thanks!

    @Sharon: this one certainly qualifies.

    @Carol: I definitely agree with that.

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  14. I can see why Malak Karsh fell in love with this are William, it is unbelievably beautiful in autumn, glorious shots here ✨

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  15. First of all, I must say that I really appreciate your header photo...quite impressive. Secondly, I would love to spend some time in those woods but I'd probably need a GPS or I'd get forever lost. Cool photos of this spectacular place, William.

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  16. Beautiful photos!

    I saw your comment on Dina's Jerusalem Hills blog where you called one of your politicians "bland but competent"...hahah...I think that would be a wonderful campaign slogan these days!! ;-)


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  17. A beautiful walk with stunning scenery. Lovely photos, Wiiliam.

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  18. @Jenny: it's been a good year here for fall colours.

    @Grace: it is such a lovely area.

    @Lowell: I have a pretty good internal compass. Though it was my first time on this trail I was never concerned about my sense of direction.

    @RedPat: it certainly is wonderful to get up here.

    @Lady Fi: very much so!

    @Lois: I certainly think so.

    @Catarina: I agree.

    @Sandi: yes, there's never a need to worry if our mayor will humiliate us. The one who was here before he was happened to be a nitwit who was unfit for the job, and blundered his way into a criminal trial over election issues. Acquitted though he might have been, it didn't mean he wasn't shady. I prefer bland and competent to that kind of politician.

    @Bill: thank you!

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  19. Lovely pictures. The trees here haven't turned yet, I can't wait!

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  20. Super photos of your walk. The foliage is beautiful! Also very interesting to learn of the Karsh family. Thank you for sharing their story.

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  21. Beautiful, I would love to take a walk in the autumn Wood, bit i am afraid i might have to wait till mid Novembre.

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  22. A beautiful beautiful post in the story and wonderful images!

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  23. Beautiful! A wonderful place to walk and enjoy nature!

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  24. Thanks for the Karsh story. I know a bit about Yousuf but not Malak.
    Beautiful shots, beautiful place.

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  25. I miss visiting that part of the Valley. My brother in law and family used to live just next to the park. I admired the Karsh brothers work immensely.

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  26. How beautiful and a great inspiration for photographers:)

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  27. Such a lovely walk in the woods from the comfort of my chair! LOL!

    Beautiful photographs William, thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  28. Catching up, slow but sure. Your autumn looks simply gorgeous, William. Breathtaking.

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  29. What a wonderful autumn in your pictures.

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  30. @Raleigh: they turn here in October. Our Thanksgiving weekend tends to be peak time most years.

    @Denise: you're welcome.

    @Wilf: it's different timing everywhere.

    @Cloudia: thank you!

    @Lea: that it is.

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  31. @Kay: both of them were amazing photographers.

    @Karen: I would have loved to get up into the park for the peak of the season this year too, but it was not to be.

    @Rosie: that it is.

    @Jan: you're welcome.

    @Jeanie: thank you!

    @Klara: definitely.

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