What descriptive words do you conjure up when describing the Niagara Gorge? The words are often romantic and intense in nature. Mighty, ancient, massive, extreme and world-class. All of these adjective accolades are well deserved.
The Niagara Gorge’s walls are an average of 70 metres high, scaling rock layers that are approximately 420 million years old. However, it took a relatively mere 12,000 years for Niagara Falls to erode its way southbound to its current location.
There are also at least a dozen other gorges that are smaller in stature within the Niagara Region, which deserve equal attention for their appreciable similarities.
Perhaps you have heard of, or even visited, Decew Falls, Terrace Creek Falls, Rockway Falls, or Beamer Falls along the Niagara Escarpment. All of these naturally protected areas share the exact same rock layers that are exposed in the great Niagara Gorge, meaning their associated canyons are just as old. They are simply not as deep or wide, but its hard to compete with your bigger sibling when it pours enough water over its brink to fill a million bath tubs per minute.
There just isn’t the same water volume with the other locations, yet these spots are just as old and beautiful as the Niagara Gorge. That almost makes it more fascinating to me and the guests I love showing these spots to; the wee little gorge they are looking at is just as aged as the Niagara River’s erosive work, including the same types of rock and associated habitats. It’s almost like how a one-metre-tall cedar tree can be just as old as the 30-metre tulip tree.
Another key difference is that the smaller waterfalls may see a few hundred or thousand visitors a year, while millions of people observe the ever popular Niagara Gorge.
These mini canyons have some fascinating tricks up their sleeve. One involves their relationship with Lake Ontario and temperature control.
All of these waterways have taken their thousands of years to incise their way into the Niagara Escarpment’s north facing wall. Essentially, they are hollowed veins cutting perpendicular through a cliff of rock. The openings of the canyons therefore face north toward one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world.
While Lake Ontario heats up like a bath tub in the summer months, an interesting phenomenon takes place come fall. As our average air temperature begins to drop, the lake takes considerably longer to cool down. Therefore, it wafts its relatively warm air up into these protected gorges, where the warmer air becomes entrapped for a period of time.
This creates a remarkable temperature difference that you can feel on your own skin cells as you stand on the chilly Niagara Escarpment top. If it’s October and you choose to step down into one of the small gorges, you will likely notice a pleasant warm ambience. Sometimes, these temperature differences can be as great as five degrees Celsius.
The exact opposite situation unfolds every spring. As Canadians embrace the first T-shirt days of the year, Lake Ontario’s frigid waters blow cooler air into these gorges, once again leaving such air masses stuck in the valleys. You could experience a warm breeze up top, and would have to apply your sweater once again if you were to descend lower, where snow and ice takes longer to melt in the rocky chasms and waterways.
I find this relationship between land and water fascinating, and there is a great satisfaction in not only understanding the process, but then feeling the proof of it every spring and fall. Wondrous, powerful and quiet processes like this surround us in the unique landscape of Niagara. Go for a hike on one of our shoulder seasons and experience the sensation for yourself!
