PhotonStopper

The gorge of Chippewa Creek, one day in May

Since the weather was predicted to be “hot, hazy, and humid,” we decided to get out and take a photo-hike in the cooler, early-morning hours. One of my favorite beautiful places in the area is the rocky gorge of Chippewa Creek as it flows through the city of Brecksville, Ohio. She Who Must Be Obeyed had never visited the riverbed so we had a first destination. We enjoyed a bagel breakfast at the Bruegger’s Bagels place near the entrance to the metropark, and hiked down into the broad space. The last six feet or so are a bit of a scramble from an earthen riverbank to the washed stone floor, easily handled however. The steep walls of the passage bear the scars of millennia of erosion, weathering, and plant action; they are dark, often damp, and in places support abundant ferns and mosses.

Tree roots grip the rocky, moss-covered walls of the gorge.

Trees, atop the rock walls, form a canopy over much of the area as their upper branches join overhead. With little recent rain, the creek was low and the riverbed mostly dry — perfect for exploration. At least that’s what I thought. She found a slick spot on a smooth rock and tumbled forward, skinning Her knee, nearly damaging her new camera, and threatening to spoil the experience. She recovered, however, and seemed to enjoy the rest of our visit. We found various objects and scenes to photograph — it’s a dark place which can make picture-taking difficult — but I’d brought my tripod this day! After a while, we climbed back out of the valley and enjoyed a good, long, challenging hike on designated Cleveland Metroparks trails. The peace of the place remains with me.

Trees, rock, and water of Chippewa Creek in an HDR imaging experiment.