I feel pretty fortunate to travel as much as I do for work. But when the expanse of the Beaver Valley opens up to me and I can see all the way to Georgian Bay, I’m always thankful to call this place home.
I remember the day we decided to move to Grey County; it was spring of about 2003 and we were hiking near the Atlantic Ocean in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. I was just about to graduate from journalism school and the world was our proverbial oyster. We had three prerequisites for where we would move; we wanted to ski, we wanted to mountain bike and we wanted to be close to family. The Town of the Blue Mountains was the obvious choice. We soon found a great apartment downtown Clarksburg and we’ve been here ever since. I’m a better skier and rider than I’ve ever been and those passions have turned into my career; writing and photographing outdoor adventure sports. And while I went to school to learn about the writing side of my career, my photography lessons have come from trial and error in this beautiful county.
Nutbars like this make my life easy. It doesn’t matter if it’s -18 degrees out there; when the waves are up on Georgian Bay (generally in the winter months) Jim Schorer is going surfing!
Georgian Bay
Long before the Orchards were open at Blue Mountain it was our go-to place for fresh powder. This shot from 2010 with Greg Sturch is still one of my favourite shots I’ve taken. Especially considering the camera gear I had way back then; pre hyper-sync, and we were shooting in the dark just to make it extra challenging.
Orchards, Blue Mountain
In a way, this is my most successful photo ever; I’ve sold it over 1200 times. This is Dylan James casting for fish one early morning in Kolapore.
Kalapore
This was my first mission out to the Nottawasaga Lighthouse and it’s a trip I make every year now. It’s a really fun paddle and a great experience getting over there. Watch out for the birds! There are millions of them. Local real estate agent Brendan Thomson on the SUP.
Nottawasaga Lighthouse
My pal Leslie Timms is a badass rock climber. I’ve worked with her a ton over the years and we always get great shots. Shooting with athletes is a team effort for sure. And Leslie is always willing to wait for great light and search for unique angles. This is her on Old Baldy.
Old Baldy, Kimberley
Over the years, I’ve accumulated some “go-to spots” for photos. This is not one of them, so it was awesome when Mountain Life editor Ned Morgan and I found this place. Don’t tell anyone about it, this is Boyd Crevice Cave near Owen Sound. A great spot for a hike.
Boyd Crevice Cave near Owen Sound
Kyle Easby and I work together all the time. He’s an amazing ski model and bike model. We’d tried this shot on skis in the winter, but there was never enough snow. So we tried in the summer. It was during a heat wave and Kyle just rolled all the way into the water before jumping over the bars into Georgian Bay.
Georgian Bay
I feel pretty fortunate to travel as much as I do for work. And I’m usually travelling to some of the most beautiful places on earth and doing really fun things when I get there. But I always love heading north on Grey Road 2 on my way home from the airport. When the expanse of the Beaver Valley opens up to me and I can see all the way to Georgian Bay, I’m always thankful to call this place home.
About Colin
Colin Field is a Town of the Blue Mountains local that was addicted to cycling the instant the training wheels came off. He spent a decade racing BMX bikes and has worked as a bike mechanic, a mountain bike instructor, a bicycle tour guide and a bicycle messenger. Along the way he's also become addicted to whitewater paddling and skiing. Now working as a full-time writer, photographer and editor, he focuses on outdoor adventure and travel. His work has appeared in everything from Mountain Life and Bike Magazine to Canoe & Kayak and Canadian Geographic. See more of his work at colinfield.com or on Instagram @colingfield.
