Restrictions are slowly being lifted. The photos and video below were captured just a few days after it was announced the trails within Ontario Provincial Parks were being reopened. It just happened to coincide with a very late season cold spell.
So, the morning I headed out before sunrise to hike a portion of the Bruce Trail within Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve was a frosty one, to say the least. The temperature read -5C when I got out of the car at 5:30AM.
I was a bit surprised that the frost wasn’t thicker. But, it was present and that was all that mattered. I was able to get some satisfying shots before the sun came up and quickly melted the ice. I then headed out for a loop hike to test out the new to me FeiyuTech Vimbal 2A gimbal for the GoPro.
More on the hike and the gimbal below…
Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve Image Gallery
For the gallery view, the photos have been cropped to fit. For full-size versions, simply click on the individual pictures.
All photos, except for one, were taken with the help of an Oshiro 60mm Macro lens. The only image not shot with the lens is the picture of the pond. That photo was actually captured as a snapshot from the video below.
The photo of the apple tree in the meadow is a composite of three bracketed images.
High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!
Bruce Trail Hiking Video
This video is a POV of the hike around the Snell Side Trail along the Bruce Trail within Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve. The footage is taken with the GoPro Hero 5 Black. And, it has been sped up about 25% because my walking speed is frankly painful to watch.
This is the first video I’ve done with the aid of the newly purchased FeiyuTech Vimbal 2A gimbal. This is an excellent, affordable gimbal that does a great job of steadying your video. I walk like an elephant so it was a definite necessity for me… (More on this product below).
Video edited with Corel VideoStudio Ultimate 2018.
FeiyuTech Vimbal 2A Gimbal
Suddenly, all my plans for road trips to capture driving tour video were smashed to pieces. When the time came for us to leave our houses again after the COVID-19 lockdown, where would I be able to go to capture video? How about hiking trails?
I walk like an elephant. Any video footage I’ve ever taken handheld moves up and down, side to side, to the point of causing nausea. I needed a gimbal. FeiyuTech was featured on Amazon and all the reviews seemed very positive. Plus, the price was not far past the $100 CAD point so it was definitely affordable.
The Vimbal 2A is specifically made for GoPro action cameras and fits like a glove. You can not use this product with a DSLR as their is no compatible mount.
Right out of the box, this was easy for me to use and understand. After being fully charged, the battery is reported to last up to ten hours. The movement is smooth.
The one thing I did find was that it interferes with the built in GoPro microphone. However, I believe my camera is having issues with the sound anyway. I’m not sure if it’s the camera or possibly that the memory card isn’t fast enough. I dub over most of my video anyway, so it’s not a huge issue for me.
One more thing. There are two spots on the gimbal where you must unlock the axes (apparently the plural of axis). I failed to unlock one when I was first trying it out around the house. I thought the gimbal was faulty because it made a hell of noise and the axis point was hot enough to burn your skin. The problem was that it was still in the lock position.
More info here: FeiyuTech Vimbal 2A action cam gimbal
More About The Hike
Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve is located about ten kilometres northeast of Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. The non-operating park houses a portion of the Bruce Trail, as well as a few side trails. The headwaters of the Nottawasaga River run through the park. The Niagara Escarpment makes for very little flat terrain.
The video comes in from the 3rd Line parking lot via the Glen Cross side trail. A portion runs along the main Bruce Trail before looping back on the Snell side trail. The section that runs along the creek in the densely forested valley below Snell Pond is always my favourite.
Alone on the trail for the duration of my nearly three hour visit, there must have been wildlife, right? No. In fact, I rarely see much in the way of wildlife in this park. I did nearly run over a coyote on the drive in, though. In the past, I have had some intimate run-ins with deer and porcupine, along with the salmon when they’re running in the fall, but little else.
The previous day, the kids and I popped out for a short walk in the afternoon and the parking lots were as full as an autumn weekend when the fall colours are at peak. But, at the 5:30am to 8:00am slot, social distancing is a guarantee. I find, it always is, no matter the location. We are mostly not an early morning society!
