On The Track Of Snow

Unusual weather conditions have generated some heavy snowfalls in the Blue Mountains so I went on a snow search with a friend. We did see some snow clouds in the distance but were unsuccessful in locating any of the white gold ourselves. We witnessed some beautiful sights along the way as the area was enveloped by shifting fog.Our first stop was Wentworth Lake where we simply sat and luxuriated in the fog surrounding us.

Unfortunately the opportunity to explore was hampered by drizzling rain and the only other sign of life was some moorhens and ducks who dotted the surface of the lake. 

 I took advantage of occasional lulls in the rain to dart out and take some shots of the jetty right next to our parking position.

 Next stop was Govett's Leap Lookout at Blackheath. 

 The fog teased us by acting like a slow reveal slide transition, revealing small details of the Mountain vista piece by piece.

 We were not inclined to bushbash due to the rain so had to satisfy ourselves with glimpses of the contrasting rock formations...............

 the seemingly never ending waterfall ............

............ and the light attempting to break through the cloud cover.

After a day following the highway further West towards Lithgow we resigned ourselves to the fact that we were not going to locate snow on this trip so decided to head home via Mt. Wilson. Firstly we pulled over to Du Faurs Rocks Lookout where we the Garden of Stones glistened on the mountain ridges like tiny specks in the distance. 

To our left the aptly named Chinaman's Hat formation was visible from our vantage position.

Mt.Wilson was almost unrecognisable since our initial visit in Autumn when bright reds golds and amber dotted the streets and gardens. It was as though somebody had either painted the streets with a desaturation slider or denuded the trees of foliage altogether.

 Moving down towards Cathedral Reserve we noticed that the ferns were far more luxuriant than on our previous visits so it appears that Mt. Wilson provides opportunities for each of her attractions to have their moment to shine.

Fond memories of childhood holidays were never far from my mind and I intend to return to the Mountains as soon as possible to take a walk or two down memory lane. It's too long since I've visited this glorious region. If nothing else, our fruitless snowsearch reinvigorated my love of the Mountains of my childhood.

Colour At Mt. Wilson

A fourth visit to Mt. Wilson this year and each time there is something of beauty to impress. The colour has left the main avenues but there are still intense colours to be found along the side streets and in all the gardens. The red and white mushroom (Amanita muscaria) which grow almost exclusively beneath pine trees are still dotted through the pine needles along the roadsides and in the private gardens. 

We discovered a new location in Breenhold Gardens which is perhaps the most impressive of any location I've seen in all the years I've visited. Two contrasting stone pathways meander from the wisteria arbour down towards the lower level. Named the Acer and Laburnum steps they are created of slate stones and festooned with a myriad of tiny maple shaped leaves. The sunlight radiates through the rich golden and orange branches creating a shimmering dappled light which illuminates the carpeted steps and ornate bench. 

 The Laburnum Steps

The Acer Steps 

The Autumn colours lend themselves beautifully to Impressionist interpretations

The Lure Of The Red Mushroom

Was drawn back to Mt. Wilson to try yet again to capture the beauty of the red mushrooms with white spots. I was also hoping that there may have been some deeper colour in what was left of the leaves after the recent deluge which hit parts of NSW.  These large red mushrooms have intrigued me since being introduced to them in childhood fictional tales such as "Noddy and Big Ears".  Perhaps their greatest fascination stems from having lived in an imaginary world fuelled by  bedtime stories read by my mum, where these mushrooms sheltered wee folk.

  Wikipedia describes the mushrooms:

Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a mushroom and psychoactive basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita, generally as a symbiont with pine and birch plantations, associating with various deciduous and coniferous trees. The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognisable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare.

  This year the mushrooms could even be seen along the roadside and beneath the trees in Cathedral Reserve.

We knew however to return to Breenhold Private Gardens . 

 I felt I would have guaranteed success for my hunt beneath the gigantic chestnut tree in Breenhold and I wasn't disappointed. The tree is located in a sheltered corner near the front fence.

 Sadly all of the chestnuts had fallen and deteriorated and the colour had passed its peak but it is still indeed a magnificent tree and I doubt any photo could do it justice.

Autumn Days in the Blue Mountains

I decided to risk the predicted inclement weather and visit a number of Blue Mountain locations. My main aim was to avoid the tourists and large crowds, so I planned on arriving at Katoomba for the rising of the sun. Although the sunrise was less than spectacular, there were only a handful of people until about 8.30 a.m and better still, the parking meters are not functional until 9.00 a.m.

Mt. Wilson

By the time I reached Mt. Wilson it was raining intermittently, so while the light was better, it is always somewhat challenging to shoot while holding a camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other. One stroke of luck - there are a number of private gardens at Mt. Wilson, renowned for its Autumn colours. One of them, Breenhold Gardens, is extensive and as luck would have it,  due to the poor weather, there was no admission charge. On a return trip I will ensure that I take a map in order to spend more time here and plan my route.

I'm still working on images taken on this trip. Im afraid they've been pushed way to the end of the priority pile.