The Cheltenham Badlands 紅土地

This piece of land appears red full of small hills and gullies. This ancient seabed is estimated at 450 million years. The red and loose sediment of soil is commonly found in Alberta. It is rare in Ontario. Unlike those in Alberta, the feature of the present Cheltenham Badlands in Ontario is not entirely natural. In the early days, it had layers of deposit beneath a forest and soil cover. When the settlers arrived here, they cleared the forest to graze their cattle. Gradually, the top soils eroded and disappeared and the red sediment exposed.

This dry, loose and permeable soil cannot take hold of the grasses and shrubs. The land formed ridges and gullies because of long-term erosion. This special feature of the soil attracted the brick builders and a number of brickmaking villages and brick yards were developed in the area. When the brick industry ceased, these villages and the brick yards were changed to residential community except the Cheltenham Badlands. It remains as it was in the early days, still barren with red sediment.

My first visit to Cheltenham Badlands was in 2011. This is my second visit. Cheltenham Badlands is located beside the Old Baseline Road between Highway 10 and Mississauga Road. It takes 40 minutes to drive from Scarborough, Toronto. The red soil and the undulating hills have attacted many visitors and students. It has become a famous landmark for film-making companies.

In 1999, Cheltenham Badlands was trasferred to the Ontario Heritage Foundation to manage. It is also part of the trail managed by the Bruce Trail Association.

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Photo equipment:
Nikon D300s with GPS
AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED
Bower 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Nikon Coolpix P7700 with Nikon GP-1 GPS
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這是一片看來像紅色的小坡和溝谷，原是450萬年前的海床。這種紅色乾燥的土質在亞爾伯特省均有出現，但在安大略省則屬罕有。現時安省「紅土地」的模樣並非如亞省的完全出於自然做成的。最初這片紅色坡谷都是被泥土完全覆蓋著，上面是一片樹林。最早的移民來到這裡落藉，他們砍樹以便畜養牛隻。慢慢地面的土壤隨時間風化流失，下面的紅色土質便冒出地面了。這種乾燥而疏鬆的土壤難以支持青草植物的生長，形成光禿的小坡和土溝。正因為有這種特別的土壤，當年的居民便開始利用這片土地開發製磚工業。因此，這一帶便出現了不少的 造磚的村落和磚廠。後來，造磚業式微，這些造磚村和磚廠也逐漸消失，轉變成為民居村落。唯有「紅土地」仍保留了紅土光禿的面貌。 

我在2011年初訪「紅土地」。這次是第二次的再訪。它位於多倫多十號公路和密西沙加路之間，在奧基線路旁。從多倫多士嘉堡出發，車程約四十分鐘。紅色的土層和線條起伏的山坡吸引了遊人和學生，成為著名的遊覧景點，和拍攝電影的場景。

1999年，「紅土地」由安省文物基金會接收管理，也屬於布魯斯郊遊徑委員會管治郊遊徑的範圍。

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(Click photo for a larger view)

【Lines ● 線】

#1: Looking west from the top of the Cheltenham Badlands and the Old Baseline Road is on the right.
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @17mm, f/11, 1/500 sec, ISO 200
站在土坡上向西望，奧基線公路在右方。

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#2: The beauty of the ridge lines
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @42.8mm, 193mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 1600
優美線條的坡脊

#3: Red sediment is mingled with lines of ridges
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @55mm, f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 800
紅土夾著橫線的坡脊

#4: A narrow and meandering trench is at the bottom of the gully.
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @55mm, f/11, 1/1000 sec, ISO 200
土坑底部留下彎曲的小溝

#5: The undulating hills
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @55mm, f/11, 1/400 sec, ISO 200
一個個起伏的小坡

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【Shapes ● 形】

#6: This ancient seabed is estimated at 450 million years.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6mm, 28mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 1600
這片紅土地原是450萬年前的海床

#7: The ridges eroded by weather and frequent walkers have become white and barren.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @42.8mm, 193mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/2500 sec, ISO 1600
土脊都被風化及逰人走過而變成白色

#8: The nude images of barren hills and gullies
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @51.3mm, 231mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 1600
赤裸的山坡與谷溝的影像

#9: The grey and loose permeable soil
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @38mm, f/13, 1/100 sec, ISO 200
淺灰色是鬆的土質

#10: In Badlands, there are different layers of colorful sediment.
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @38mm, f/13, 1/400 sec, ISO 200
細看之下，紅土世界，都有層層不同顏色的土質。

#11: The visitors look small on the ridge.
Nikon D300s 8mm f/3.5 @8mm, f/11, 1/320 sec, ISO 200
從坑底向上拍到細小的遊人

#12: The top soils are loose and permeable.
Nikon D300s 8mm f/3.5 @8mm, f/11, 1/400 sec, ISO 200
小坡面層是鬆疏的土壤

#13: Some small plants appear on the slope.
Nikon D300s 8mm f/3.5 @8mm, f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 200
細小的綠枝生長在紅土坡上

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【Shadows ● 影】

#14: The sun casts my shadow on the hill slope.
Nikon D300s 8mm f/3.5 @8mm, f/11, 1/640 sec, ISO 200
背後的陽光把我的影子投在小坡上

#15: Looking for an unusual angle for photography (photo courtesy: D. Xu)
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6.5mm, 29mm (35mm equivalent), f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 1600
走在土溝，尋找拍攝的好角度。(攝影: 許偉東)

#16: 3 young men, 3 shadows and the Badlands
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @19mm, f/11, 1/320 sec, ISO 200
三位年青人, 三個影子和紅士地。

#17: My friend gives me a hand when I walk on the slope.  This shadow of a helping hand was captured.
Nikon D300s 17-55mm f/2.8 @17mm, f/11, 1/320 sec, ISO 200
小心翼翼走下小坡，友人扶了一把，無意中看見紅土上的影子，拍下來。

#18: I put my camera with the fish-eye lens on the gully and took this interesting shot.
Nikon D300s 8mm f/3.5 @8mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec, ISO 200
我將魚眼鏡相機放在地上，鏡頭向天，拍下這有趣特別的影像。

#19: A flying stone?
Nikon D300s 8mm f/3.5 @8mm, f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 200
飛來石?

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View Larger Map

 View Large Route Map

Virtual navigation to Cheltenham Badlands
1. Click "View Large Route Map"
2: Click the 3D button in the large Google map 

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虛擬航程

1。點擊 View Large Route Map

2. 點擊在放大地圖左面的 3D 按鈕

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Location GPS:  43°46'26" N   79°56'40" W