Pinhey Forest

Pinhey Forest is nestled in the suburbs of South-Centre Ottawa. Of particular note are sand dunes in the forest that are remnants of the ancient Champlain Sea. The sea is long gone of course, but the dunes remain and are protected for study. Otherwise, the forest has several walking trails that are well-used by residents. I last visited the area two years ago, and a friend suggested that it was long past time for another visit. As we had before, we traveled from one dune area to another looking for photos. While the dunes and the forest were interesting, we were particularly struck by the extensive damage that the area had suffered. This was caused by the derecho that hit Ottawa in May 2022. A derecho is an unusual windstorm associated with fast-moving and severe thunderstorms. They can cause hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, heavy rains, and flash floods. Pinhey forest was particularly hard hit and will take years to recover. As I've been doing lately, I photographed in both visible and infrared light, and I processed the infrared shots for false colour. Infrared can give some interesting results. For example, the last two photos show the same mushroom-laden tree in infrared and visible light.